Process for dispersing hydrophyllic material and product



Patented Mar. 19, 1 935 PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FORDISPERSING HYDROPH' YLLIO AND 'PRODUCT Albert Kuba Epstein, Chicago, In.

No Drawing. .Application May 4, 1929,

, Serial No. 360,598

i4 Claims.

My invention relates to improved methods for dissolving water imbibing materials, that is, hydrophyllic materials of the character hereinafter referred to. In general, these materials do 5 not dissolve in the ordinary sense of the word.

They rather become colloidally dispersed or peptized, the distinction being'that'whereas when a substance ordinarily dissolves, it becomes molecularly dispersed, these other substances to which my processes apply become dispersed in.aggregates larger than molecular; This type of dis- .persion is generally referred to as colloidal dispersion in counter-distinction-to the ordinary kind invention to these two types.

of solution.

In'general, such hydrophyllic material may be brought in contact with water, either in the form of flakes or granules or else in the form of a more or less finely comminuted powder. In either case, unsatisfactory resultsare generally obtained.

In the case of the flakes or granules, theex terior portions of the granules or flakes imbibe water and greatly retard the imbibitlon of water by the inner portions. Long standing and agitation are required and even after a long period of time, undispersed chunks or lumps are detectable.

0n the other hand, if the hydrophyllic material is used ina more or less finely divided form, when the powder contacts with water or some other aqueous medium, there is a tendency for the powder to lump and due to more or less the same conditions as above indicated, homogeneous colloidal dispersion is not at all produceable or is produceable only with great difllculty.

My improved method consists in using the hydrophyllic material preferably in a more or less finely comminuted form and mixing with it a substantially non-aqueous liquidfprior to introducing' it to the aqueous medium'.' this step is to wet, so far as possibifi, each particle of the hydropliyllic material with t non-aqueous liquid so that one-:"particle is separated from another when introduced into an aqueous medium.

Products of the nature claimed herein are usable for various purposes such as for treating egg material as referred to and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 312,395 filed October 13, 1928, Patent No. 1,737,365.

The non-aqueous liquid above referred to may preferably be of two types. One type is a liquid which is miscible with water and the other type ,isa liquid which isimmiscible with water. But

it is to be understood that I am not limiting my If anon-aqueous, water miscible liquid is used to wet the colloid, then this condition operates e object of beneficially in two ways. A conglomeration of partially hydrated particles is prevented by the avoided and a rapid, homogeneous dispersion of the hydrophyllic material is effected.

If a 'water immiscible liquid is used, a conglomeration of partially hydrated particles is prevented by the intervening film of the non-aqueous water immiscible liquid and eac individual bydrophyllic colloid particle, when in contact with 15 the water, becomes hydrated. The result is that the tendency to lump isreducedand a homogeneous dispersion of hydrophyllic colloid is effected.

Some examples of comminuted hydrophyllic materials which may be treated by my method are 20 as follows: gum acacia, gelatine, animal glue, gum tragacanth, pectin, casein, dextrin, lecithin and .others.

Some examples of water-miscible liquids which I have used are as follows: glycerine, ethylene 25 glycol, monoacetine, ethylene glycol monoacetate, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, acetone, glacial acetic acid, glacial phosphoric acid, ethyl methyl ketone, sulphonated oil, isopropyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, etc.

Some examples of non-aqueous water immiscible liquids which I use are as follows: liquid mineral oils, such as Nuiol, edible glycerides such as cotton seed oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and their equivalents.

In dispersing the hydrophyllic colloid in water by means of a water-immiscible liquid, I prefer to use an amount of a. water-immiscible substance such as cotton seed oil in a proportion substantially much less than the water in which the 40 colloid is ,dispersed.

An object of using this water immisciblesubstance is to lubricate the particles of the colloid and prevent their lumpingwhen introduced in a proportionately larger amount of water, as for example: 1 lb. of powdered gumtragaeanth is -mixed withdlbs. of cotton seed oil and this is will be undesirable if it is intended to retain monoacetin in its original form.

n the other hand, some combinations which at first sight may appear incompatible are operable when used in the proper proportions.

Alcohol is known to be capable of precipitating gum tragacanth; still, it might be used in my process for dispersing gum tragacanth in water when used in certain proportions for the reason that the ultimate dilution oi,the ethyl-alcohol originally used to wet the particles of gum tragacanth will be such that it. will be insufilcient to precipitate the gum from its ultimate dispersion in water.

For example, 1 lb. of powdered gum tragacanth may be suspended in 3 pints of alcohol and this mixture then added with agitation to 12 gallons of water. A homogeneous dispersion of tragacanth in water is thus produced.

Another example of my process is as follows: 1 lb. of powdered pectin is mixed with 5 lbs. of glycerine and this mixture is then added to 50 pounds of water, with agitation.

Another example of my invention consists in mixing together powdered pectin and-glycerine as in the immediately preceding example, and then adding the resulting mixture to fruit juice in amounts required to effect a desirable result, for instance, jellying of the fruit juice. In this use the proportion may be modified greatly, de-

pending on conditions encountered and the results required. In carrying out the process according to any embodiment of the invention, warming or heating the substances can be resorted to to promote dispersion. Agitation or mixing is, of course, used wherever necessary to facilitate dispersion.

The resultant products may be used for various purposes. Therefore I do not-desire to be limited to the particular process or products mentioned, or any particular use, but aim to cover that which comes within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of substantially homogeneously colloidally dispersing dry comminuted hydrophyllic material in an aqueous medium consisting of admixing with said material a relatively small amount of a substantially non-aqueous liquid to produce a substantially dry product and then. introducing this product into a substantially larger amount of the aqueous medium whereby lumping of the hydrophyllic material is prevented. I

2. A method of substantially homogeneously colloidally dispersing dry comminuted-hydrophyllic material in an aqueous mediuc consisting of admixing with said material a relatively small amount of a substantially non-aqueous water miscible liquid to produce a substantially dry product and. then introducing this product. into a substantially larger amount of the aqueous medium by agitation whereby lumping of the hydro-5 phyllic material is prevented.

3. A method of substantially homogeneously I colloidally dispersing dry comminuted hydro- ,small amount of a substantially non-aqueous water-immiscible liquid to produce a substantially dry product, and then introducing this product into a substantially larger amountof the aqueous medium by agitation whereby lumping of the hydrophyllic material is prevented.

4. A method of. substantially homogeneously colloidally dispersing dry comminuted hydrophyllic material in an aqueous medium consisting of admixing with said material a relatively small amount of a substantially non-aqueous liquid to produce a substantially dry product and then introducing this product into a substantially larger amount of the aqueous medium by agitation and heating whereby lumping of the hydrophyllic material is prevented.

5. A method of homogeneously colloidally dispersing dry comminuted pectin in fruit juice consisting in admixing therewith a relatively small amount of glycerine and then introducing this mixture into the fruit juice by agitation and warming.

6. A substantially dry product comprising dry finely comminuted colloid material uniformly dispersed in a relatively small amount of a substantially non-aqueous liquid, the amount of nonaqueous liquid used being sufficient to enhance the dispersion of the colloid when the composi tion is added to an aqueous liquid.

7. A substantially dry product comprising a dry hydrophyllic colloid dispersed uniformly in a relatively small amount of a non-aqueous water miscible liquid, the amount of non-aqueous liquid used being sufllcient to enhance the dispersion of the colloid when the compositionis added to .an aqueous liquid.

8. A substantially dry product comprising a dry hydrophyllic colloid dispersed uniformly in a relatively small amount of a non-aqueous water immiscible liquid, the amount of non-aqueous liquid used being sufllcient to enhance the dispersion of the colloid when the composition is added to an aqueous liquid.

9. A new compositionof matter including dry comminuted pectin dispersed in a relatively larger proportion of glycerine, the amount of glycerin' used being suificient to enhance the dispersion of the pectin when the composition is added to an aqueous liquid.

10. A substantially dry finely divided pectin productcomprising, a finely divided pectin containing an appreciable amount of oil adapted to cause dispersion and complete solution of the pectin in water.

11. A finely divided pectin product comprising, finely divided purified pectin bearing a highly purified non-drying neutral mineral oil in quantity-sufficient 'to increase the rate of solubility of said pectin in an aqueous liquid.

12. A substantially dry product comprising hydrophyllic material in finely divided form, containing an appreciable amount of oil adapted to cause complete dispersion of the hydrophyllic material in water.

13. A finely divided hydrophyllic product comprising finely divided purified hydrophyllic ma.- terial bearing a highly purified non-drying neutral 'mineral oil in quantity sufficient to increase the rate of dispersion of said hydrophyllic mation of the mixture to produce a substantially terial in water. dry product, the amount of oil used being sum- 14. In a method of rendering finely divided cient to enhance the dispersion of the pectin and purified pectin readily soluble in aqueous liquids, whereby to prevent lumping of the pectin when 5 the step of adding a. relatively small amount of added to a relatively large body 'of aqueous liquid. 5

a non-drying neutral purified mineral oil to a, quantity of finely divided pectin during agita- ALBERT KUBA EPSTEIN. 

